Relentless Amigos
by homel001
Summary: In an alternative ending after the final events of the game, John Marston appears out of the heatwaves and enlists the help of Landon Ricketts to help him hunt Edgar Ross who is now an outlaw, but is there more to Marston than Ricketts thinks?. WARNING MAY CONTAIN 1 OR 2 SPOILERS! COMPLETE! Please Read & Review.
1. Old Wounds

**Red Dead Redemption **

**Relentless Amigos**

**By Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar does. This hopefully is an original story that I believe is different as to other stories that I have read...Okay maybe not. Please read and review and enjoy. Warning please be aware that there are one or two spoilers throughout so if you haven't played or completed the game, don't read. **

**I thought I would do something different as I have read a lot of Jack Marston fics but not enough of John. I didn't like the end of the game so I figure this a way of how John can be in one last story.**

**Chapter One**

**Old Wounds**

The heat was stifling out in Punta Orgullo as intense heat waves blurred the desert horizon around Casa Madgrugada. It was probably one of the most poverty stricken towns in the whole of Mexico, but to one man, it was the only place he could ever call home. As he sat there drinking his days away at his favourite wooden stool, Landon Ricketts enjoyed the hot summer sun. He would often do this and to him, this was his idea of retirement. He was an old outlaw, forgotten by the law that once had a bounty put out on his head years ago. As he sipped away at his drink, Landon read the headlines to the local paper that was draped over another chair.

Brushing the dirt off the page, he began to read the first column. Apparently, a man had been shot dead at his ranch by government agents. This story seemed to impress the ageing gunslinger that was until he was drawn to something out in the distance. A rider emerged from the heat waves. His features became more apparent as approached the town at a steady speed. Landon wasn't surprised at all as the rider appeared to be none other than John Marston. However, there was something different about him, something sinister. His black duster coat draped over his skinny pale horse as John rode into town and stopped outside the rooms. Hitching his horse, he slowly walked over towards Landon keeping the same dead pan expression on his face.

"Well look what came out form the devils playground." Landon chuckled as he shook John firmly by the hand. "I don't know how you found me after all this time, but i can tell you now. I'm happy here so please leave me be."

"I've come for your help, Ricketts." John replied as he stood over Landon, covering the sun with his silhouette. "My family has left me and it's all because of one man and his government pigs. I don't know who else left to turn to. I need your help amigo?"

"Government pigs?" Landon said as he looked up at John. "They seem to be all over the news these days. Thing is I would help you, but you are looking over one fact. I'm too old to hunt now. I can't even hold a gun without dropping it. My time is nearly over. You don't need me."

Furious at Landon's response, John took a seat opposite the old-timer and stared him in the face. Landon could see sincerity in his eyes. He really needed help.

"If I recall since last time." John stated. "You taught me how to fire plus you even gunned down a few men yourself and you have the guts to sit there and tell me that you can't shoot to save your life. What happened to you old man? You use to be a feared son of a bitch?"

"Well I guess you could say that I've lost the interest in killing." Landon sneered as he stared down at his whiskey bottle. "Unless there was some sort of money payment that would twist my arm?"

"There might just be if you help me out." Assured John. "He's become a corrupt asshole who has ruined his reputation by killing an innocent family man. His excuse was that this man was going to take down the law, but he didn't have evidence to prove his explanation. Instead, he fled with a bounty on his head. I don't know how much, but I'm sure it would be worth something to you?"

Landon thought it over thoroughly. He knew he couldn't stay in town much longer. He deserved much better in life.

"Okay. I'll help you?" he said as he returned his gaze at John. "But I want to know who it is we're hunting and why? I don't just kill for the fun of it anymore?"

"He's a government agent known by the name of Edgar Ross." John explained instantly. "Just like I said a few months ago, he killed a rancher up on Beecher's Hope in cold blood. He lied to his men to get them to do his dirty work. After a bounty was put on his head, he was seen riding east. I assumed he was heading across the border. Thing is I can't be too sure."

"Why do you need my help?" Landon asked again, still confused to all that John was telling him.

"Because he's not alone." John muttered a she reached for the whiskey bottle. "When Ross ran so did three of his followers. All of which were ex bounty hunters. I can take them down on my own. Hell no man can."

"Alright, John. I'll help you, but it better be worth my while." Landon replied as he made one thing clear to John. "I can't stay here much longer. I deserve better than this myself. I have a home to go to in Armadillo and I would like some money to get there. This is no life for an old man who just wants to live the rest of his life in peace, besides the law aren't even looking for me anymore. I'm a free man."

"I understand, Ricketts." John said as he understandingly shook Landon's hand once more. "You're a good man and you deserve the best. Where do we start?"

"We'll head to Chuparosa for supplies." Landon replied as he headed into his room to back his bags. "There's an office there you could use to find out about this Edgar Ross. If he is Nuevo Paraiso we'll know about it."

Later That day, John and Landon mounted their horses and set out into the wild desert of Mexico. Landon always trusted John; he just hoped that he knew what he was doing. Edgar Ross was an ex Government agent not some two bit outlaw. As the wind hit his face, Landon reminisced to his younger days when he was the most notorious outlaw in town. He had missed riding a horse and it felt good to hit the dusty trail once again.

Just before they left, Landon had made sure that he was well armed for any action. He had Scholfied Revolver on him along with an Evans Repeater Rifle that was mounted to the side of his horse. He never believed in dynamite but in this case, he was going to have to make an exception. As they rode towards Punta Orgullo, Landon felt his nerves shoot up. What was going to happen? He didn't know. He had never felt uneasy before in his life. Was it to do with Edgar Ross being a government agent? Or was it to do with John Marston himself? John had never looked this sinister before, or so he remembered. He knew that there was more to this than he was being let onto. John would never avenge someone's death unless there was a real reason.


	2. Guilty Conscience

**Chapter Two**

**Guilty Conscience**

Armadillo took the full brunt of its daily sandstorm as the fierce winds launched sand at high speeds, forcing its residents to seek shelter. Barrels clanked as they rolled down the street, metal creaked and glass rattled. Most of the people had held themselves up in the saloon as it was the strongest building in town that could withstand the high winds. Amongst the assorted crowd of drunks, men, women and ranchers, Edgar Ross hid himself in the shadow of candle light as he sat at one of the small corner tables. He had been sitting there in silence for hours, making himself invisible to the people. He was well aware of the bounty that was out on his head and realised that he had to keep a low profile in order to slip past the local bounty hunters and marshals.

As he sat there quietly sipping away to a pint of beer, one of his men approached him holding a copy of the paper. Edgar looked up at the man and snatched the paper out of his hand. The look on his face said it all as he scowled the headlines. Looking back up at the man, Edgar told the man to sit.

"Is this true?" he asked the man as he backhanded the page. "Are we worth Ten Thousand Dollars just because we've been laying low?"

"Yeah boss." The man replied. "I've checked it over with our contact at Twin Rocks. The Mayor really wants us dead. How did this happen to us in the first place?"

"It happened because we gunned down an innocent man." Edgar grunted as he tossed the paper aside and rubbed his temples. "How were we supposed to know that the laws had changed? By rights, we shouldn't even be here in the mess."

"Boss, we both know that that man was a well-known outlaw and an ex-gang member." The man continued, trying to look on the bright side. "We were fighting for the law at the time. We need to clear our name."

"Shut up will you." Edgar said as he silenced the man. "We both know it's because we killed those ranchers the day after. We didn't even have a warrant out to raid the place. We just moseyed on right it and burnt the place to the ground."

"Yeah but that was because you thought you knew what you doing." The man went on. "We couldn't be sure if they were cattle rustlers or not."

"It was because I had tasted blood and power. I wanted more of it and now we're on the run like animals." Edgar moaned as his speech became slurred due to the amount of alcohol he had drunk. "I'm going to go and sleep this one off. Where are the rest of the boys?"

"Here they come now." The man replied as he turned his attention to three other men who emerged on the upper landing.

They all wore matching duster coats with different hats, boots and gun belts. They along with Edgar and the other man were the only survivors left. During their run from the law, four of Edgar's men were involved with a run in with bounty hunters who gunned them down in the desert. Edgar and his remaining boys escaped to Armadillo with only a few scratches. Now, they all had to stick together as the bounty kept increasing.

Edgar made his way up the wooden stairs, shoving the lingering hookers to one side. As he approached his bedroom, he took a hard glance out of the window. His stomach dropped as he saw three marshals pass through the town on horseback. He had been on edge like this for weeks. Every sight of a lawman would turn his stomach inside out. So far, no one had found him, but it was only a matter of time before his luck would run out. He had often thought about running but he knew that he couldn't go towards West Elizabeth. The law would surely hunt him down.

As he entered his room and bolted the door behind him, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Edgar awoke several hours later, screaming. A cold sweat had broken out across his face. He had just endured a re-occurring nightmare, one of which would be edged in his mind forever. When he would sleep, his mind would play out the same scene over and over again. He was there with his men, about to gun down an innocent man outside his barn. He could hear the man's family ride off in the distance as he called the man out on the count to three. Before the man could draw his revolver, Edgar's men fired, sending him down with a dozen lead bullets. He could smell the stench of his victim's blood and the smell of smoke that emitted from the gun barrels.

The next thing was that he was being chased through the fields by bounty hunters. He kept on riding as the wind hit his face, his men fell all around him and his gun fired wildly at his pursuers. He killed the bounty hunters within an inch of his life and then the dream would end. Edgar had a lot of guilt and regret on his mind. He knew that this nightmare was apart of the guilt which he had tried so hard to drown away with alcohol.

As he washed the sweat off of his face, Edgar heard the sounds of gunfire and screams that were coming from downstairs. As he opened the door to investigate, he heard a gruff voice call his name.

"Edgar Ross! Come on out you yellow bellied asshole!"

Grabbing his gun, Edgar left his room and appeared out on the upper landing. He looked down to see a skinny elderly marshal stare up at him wielding a revolver and wanted poster. He displayed a fierce look in his eyes as he bared his teeth.

"Come on down you son of a bitch!" he snarled as Edgar slowly walked down the staircase. "I got a bounty here with your name on it!"

"Have you come to kill me old man?" Edgar replied as he kept a calm tone in his voice. "Because if you can take me right here, there will be a lot of money in it for you, but if you try to take me with my boys here, well then you must be mighty foolish."

Suddenly, the marshal was surrounded by Edgar's boys, forming a circle around him. Aware of the situation he was in, the marshal took his chances and kept his eyes on Edgar.

"Is this supposed to scare me? 'Cause I could take all of you out at once."

"This will be funny." Edgar replied as he laughed. "Okay old man. On the count to three, you draw okay?"

After he counted to three, Edgar reached for his revolver and fired within a few seconds, knocking the marshal to the floor. Everyone in the room dived for cover as the marshal bled in all directions.

Signalling his boys to move out, Edgar holstered his gun and headed for his horse.

"It's about time we moved out." He said as he saddled his horse and rode out of town towards Ridgewood Farm.


	3. Questions, Answers & Lead

**Chapter Three**

**Questions, Answers and Lead**

John and Landon arrived at Chuparosa after a long tiring ride. They needed supplies as well as information on the man that they were looking for. As they rode slowly into town, they were met with a dozen eyes from the civilians. The people had never seen two shady strangers ride into town before and it often terrified them. Landon headed over towards the market stalls to get for food and ammunition while John trotted towards the Sheriff's office that was at the other end of town. John needed to get an idea of the price out on Edgar Ross as he promised Landon that he would split the reward money with him.

Hitching his horse, John stepped inside the run down sheriff's office and took a look around for someone to talk to. He caught the attention of a small Mexican deputy, who was sleeping by a candle in the corner of the room. Clearing his throat, the deputy lifted up his sombrero, revealing his rough looking eyes. He held a half smoked cigar in his hand. He had been smoking something strong as the smell of thick smoke poisoned the air.

"Can I help you senior?" the deputy asked as he stood up to adjust his tattered trousers. "Is there a crime being committed or something?"

"No…eh… friend." John replied as he waved his hand around, wafting the smoke away from his face. "I would like to look at your list of bounties. There's a man that I'm looking for."

"Si senior, there on the wall over there." The deputy replied as he directed John into another room. "We have ten Gringos out there who have high prices on his head. Your one of the few who has dared to go out after them."

"I bet I am." John muttered as he studied the wanted posters that were nailed to the wall.

There were at least seven men that were wanted in Mexico and amongst the pictures was Edgar Ross. John's blood began to boil as he identified the poster and ripped it off the wall. He was quite surprised that his nemesis had ten thousand dollars on his head as it was quite a substantial reward. Returning to the deputy, John showed the man the poster and asked where the man was.

"I'm looking for this man. He was an ex- government agent." He said as he handed the deputy the poster. "He's been reportedly seen over this side of the border? Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"No I'm afraid I don't senior." The deputy replied as he returned the poster. "The last I hear of this man, he was seen crossing the border towards Cholla Springs. Word had it that he was being chased by bounty hunters, but he gunned them down and got away."

"Is that so?" John asked intrigued as he lifted an eyebrow. "Has there been any other news since then?"

"Rumour has it that he had killed a marshal in Armadillo yesterday." The deputy added. "Word gets round fast out here. Apparently he approached this old marshal and then his boys surrounded him. Next thing, BOOM! He's on the floor like a dead horse."

"Sounds like the man I'm looking for." John said as he nodded in realisation. "Thanks friend, I'm going to hunt that asshole one way or another."

Obliging the deputy, John left the building and placed the wanted poster in his jacket. He made his way down the small, tatty market where he saw Landon trade some of his stuff in for supplies. The man didn't have a lot of money so to get the stuff he needed, he traded in some bullet shells animal skins. In return, the market owner sold Landon bacon, pork, ammo shell cases and whiskey.

John approached Landon and showed him the poster.

"He's in Armadillo." He said. "The place where you plan to live. It seems that he crossed the border without us knowing."

"Then what will we do now?" Landon replied as he placed the supplied on his horse. "Armadillo must be at least as few days ride from here and our horses are tired as hell."

"We'll stay at that hotel over there and start fresh in the morning." John said as he pointed to the local rundown hotel. "I'm sure we'll find a few rooms."

Night had quickly dawned on the town. The stars were out, the Moon was shining bright and wolves howled in the distance. At the hotel, John and Landon decided to go to the saloon for a few hours. Landon wanted to play a few rounds of Black Jack while John wanted a peaceful drinking session. He sat up at the bar and stuck to the shadows as he ordered a pint of beer. As he paid the bartender, he noticed that two men were glaring at him from the other room. They looked familiar to him and he could tell that they knew him. However, he decided to sit there in the dark, fully aware that the two men were approaching him in an intimidating manner. They surrounded John from both sides.

"I don't think you should be drinking our good beer, mister." One man said as he grabbed the beer from Johns hand and slid it across the bar. "We've seen too many drifters come mosey on in here and taking our stuff. Well we've had enough of it."

"Is that so?" John replied as he looked up at the man. "Well I'm sorry gentlemen but assholes such as yourselves must know by now to share stuff."

"Well we don't like sharing." The man grunted a she flipped back his coat, revealing his revolver. "So get walking."

"Wait a second. I recognise you?" the second man added as he got in John's face. "You're that Marston guy ain't ya?"

"Maybe? What's to you?" John replied as he scowled at the second man. "You don't want to piss me off right now."

"You're going to die Marston." The first man replied. "You and your old man over there. I remember you. You killed my old man!"

"Well I must've had a darn good reason to kill him." John smiled as he mocked the man further. "I wonder if you're such a crap shot like he was?"

"Let's see?" the man snarled as drew his revolver. "I'm sure going to enjoy watching you die."

John brandished his revolver and fired at the two men, gunning them down. Everyone in the room fled in fear. Just before he could return to his drink, a third man came bounding barging in wielding a repeater rifle. Diving behind the bar, John braced himself as the man opened fire on him. Waiting for his target to reload, John emerged from cover and fired, sending a bullet to the man's chest.

Meanwhile, Landon was chasing a fourth man down the street, his heart thumping. He knew that he was going to have to stop before he could give himself a heart attack so he drew his gun and fired. The man flew forward and crashed into the market stalls. Approaching the body, Landon searched the corpse for anything. To his surprise, he found a federal badge on the person. This man was a government agent. John soon caught up, bringing the horses with him. It was time for them to ride out again. Landon showed John the badge with a look of disbelief on his face.

"This man was a government agent." He said as he mounted his horse. "I found that on his person. He was well armed. Don't know where he was running too."

"They all were agents." John replied as he tried to keep his rage down beneath boiling point. "At least they were. I knew I recognised them. They sure knew me."

"Do you think that they were hiding?""

"Maybe. Or maybe it was just a coincidence I don't know. Anyway we better get going. You'll like this. There's ten thousand dollars out on Ross. I'm thinking that he's that worth the ride. If we go now, we'll make it to Armadillo by sun up."

"That fast?"

"You don't know any shortcuts, Ricketts. I know these roads like the back of my hand. We'll get there in no time.

"I'll hold you to that, Marston. Let's get going before I change my mind in helping you?"

Dawn was fast approaching as the two men approached the borderline crossing. Their route took them up into the hills of the Rio Bravo, known for its deadly cougars and it's abandoned Fort Mercer. They soon approached the small settlement of Plainview where the road broke off into two directions. They took the road towards Gap tooth Breach and before they knew it, the Cholla Springs desert was over the horizon. As they rode down by Benedict Point, John noticed a few more eyes that were staring him down. He didn't want the world to know what it was he was hiding. He was even having a hard time keeping his secret from Landon who was a hard man to fool. He knew that Landon was onto him. He just didn't want to come clean.

"Why does everyone keep staring at you like you're a ghost?" Landon asked as he gave John a suspicious look. "I've noticed that look ever since we left Chuparosa?"

"I don't know and I don't care what the people think of me." John replied as he tried to change the subject. "I just want to get on with my business."

Not responding to his reply, Landon kept his suspicions to himself. He didn't want John to turn on him. He just had to trust him and think of the life that he wanted to live.


	4. The Chase and the Brawl

**Chapter Four**

**The Chase and The Brawl**

The new morning sun appeared over the horizon, kissing the desert with its warm rays. The sky was clear and the wind was fair. Armadillo sat in the valley and business continued as normal as John and Landon rode into town. They were both tired along with their horses. They were cached in dust from the trail, their lips were chapped and dry from the lack of water and their hunger pains had become intense. John didn't dream of hunting Edgar on an empty stomach and decided to make a stop at the saloon. Hitching his horse, John peered inside to see if the place was busy. It had been a long time since he had been to Armadillo and he had never seen the saloon that empty. By now, he was very conscious of Edgar's ware bouts but couldn't resist the tense grinding pains in his stomach. Approaching the bar, he asked for a bottle of whisky and any food they had going.

He sat down at a table with Landon and placed his hat on the table as the barman approached the table with a tray of broth, bread and whiskey. As they were about to tuck into their meal, John spotted someone out in the corner of his eye. A strange shady man wearing a duster coat sat in the corner of the room keeping his business to himself. He appeared to be spying on the two men without making himself known and he was doing a good job too.

"What's the matter Marston?" Landon asked as he sipped away at his broth.

"That man over there, the one with the duster coat and shady look." John replied as he pointed to the man. "I recognise him from somewhere."

"Where from?" Landon said. "Is he a bandit?"

"It doesn't matter." John said as he returned to his meal. "I'm sure it isn't important."

Just then, the man rose from his seat and left the saloon. The two men were unaware that he left as they were deeply immersed in their meal and were about to open the whiskey. Landon was pretty impressed with the town. He knew that he was going to enjoy living here. Returning to their mission, Landon had to know what they were going to do next.

"If I was Edgar Ross, where would I hide?" he pondered as he scanned the building. "The saloon would be an obvious choice but I would be caught easily."

Just as John was about to reply, they were drawn to the sound of gunfire from across the street. Leaving the saloon, they noticed the same shady man had just robbed the bank. It was just then that John recognised who the man was. He was one of Edgar's men, and he wasn't going to let him get away.

Leaping over the banister, John told Landon to cover the alley way. The man began to bolt as he saw John run towards him. He was a fast runner and he drew his gun and fired at his pursuer. John drew his gun and returned fire but missed. He didn't know where the man was going to run but he knew that he could cut him off if he could get him to run to the stables. He constantly dodged horses and stagecoaches as the chase led him towards the end of the main street. Thinking he got a clear shot, he fired again, narrowingly missing the man. By now, the man was running out of options. As he turned to head for the stables, he saw Landon speed towards him. He quickly changed direction and sped up the narrow trail towards Coot's Chapel. He had a clear start ahead of John but he was beginning to tire. The sand was loose, causing the man to lose his footing.

Not far behind, John had to stop for Landon, who was having hard time breathing. Helping the old-timer to his feet, they trudged onwards. As for the man, he had stumbled into the chapel and hid himself amongst the seats. It was so quiet that the only sound was his heavy breathing. The chapel was small and eerie as the walls were dark and damp with the day light seeping through the small, damaged windows.

Outside, Landon was the first to approach the door. It creaked as he opened it kicking up the dust as he entered. His footsteps echoed across the wooden floor as he searched between the seats for the man. As he reached the back row, he was forced to floor with a hard punch to the face. He rolled over as the man launched himself at him from out of the shadows. Landon kicked the man to the floor, throwing multiple punches at him. The man tried to reach for his gun but it was quickly knocked out of his hand by Landon's brute force. Landon threw another punch at the man's face and then another to the chest, causing the man to black out. Using all his might, the man kicked Landon in the jaw, sending him flying into the row of seats behind him.

He then crawled his way to the back door and out into the small graveyard. Landon staggered to his feet and gave chase, spitting out the blood from his mouth. As he entered the graveyard, he drew his gun and shot the man in the leg. Screaming in agony, the immobilized man fell into an empty grave plot and hit the dirt with an almighty thud. He looked up to see Landon's shadowy figure look down at him along with the click of his gun.

"P-please don't kill me!" he squealed as he caressed his leg which was bleeding all over the place. "I didn't want to rob that bank but I had to!"

"No I'm not going to kill you, boy." Landon replied. "My friend and I want some answers from you. Give them to us and we'll attend to that leg of yours. What's it going to be?"

"I'll answer anything! I promise!" the man replied as he tried not to cry. "Just please help me?"

Jumping into the grave plot, Landon grabbed the man by the lapels and through him up into the dirt. Dragging him back inside and leaning him up against the wall, Landon began to question the man just as John entered the chapel. He had gone to get the Marshal so he could make an arrest.

"We know that you work for Edgar Ross." John said as he took over the interrogation. "Where is he? And don't say you don't know him. I recognise your face anywhere."

"He, he left days ago." The man replied as he looked away from the two men. "He figured that he wasn't safe so he rode out of town. I came in to get some money and supplies."

"Where is he?" Landon asked as he put his gun to the man's head. "We're looking for him and we will find him one way or another."

"He's hiding out at Ridgewood farm." The man replied as he whimpered at the sight of the gun. "He's hiding there with three of our boys. He plans on fleeing the country to Arizona."

"Put the gun away, Ricketts." John said as he sent in the marshal. "I'll help the marshal take this man to the jail cell. You get the horses ready."

With that, John climbed aboard the Marshal's wagon and rode back to town with Landon sitting in the trailer guarding the body.

A few hours later, the man was resting in the jail cell as he propped his leg up on a wooden stool. The marshal was having a drink with John to celebrate the arrest, but the marshal wasn't convinced that John was going to bring down Edgar Ross and his men.

"Look, I don't know what's going through your head mister Marston, but you're crazy." He said as he played with his whiskey glass. "No man has dared go after Ross. Not since he killed that marshal in the saloon the other day. What makes you think that you can take him?"

"I'm not doing this for the money, Marshal. I have a personal reason." John explained as he gave the Marshal a look of reason. "Edgar Ross killed an innocent rancher a few months back. That rancher was my friend and I vowed to myself that I would avenge his death. I may be crazy to you, but I will avenge that man and bring Ross to justice. Otherwise I'll die trying."

"You're a brave man, John Marston." The Marshal smiled as he poured John a drink. "I hope to see you ride back over the horizon with Ross's head on a pike. There will be a lot of money in it for you and your friend."

"I already told you. I'm not in it for the money." John replied as he knocked back his drink and looked at the man. "Will he make it?"

"He'll be fine." The marshal assured as he gave the man a look of disgust. "He'll be transferred to Blackwater in the morning for trial."

"Right." John sighed as he heard his horse outside along with Landon's muffled voice. "Take care, marshal."

Saddling his horse, John looked at Landon while he loaded his revolver. Landon repeated the action as he gulped heavily. They were about to go after the real deal and his suppressed nerves were about to surface. As for John, he had never been so calm in his life. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Are you ready for this, Ricketts?" he said as he led the way. "You can still back out if you want to? You've come this far. I can't expect you to go the rest of the way?"

"If I want that retirement then I'll have to earn it." Landon chuckled. "I'll go with you, Marston. Besides I want that reward."

"You never cease to amaze me." John replied as he let out a faint smile.

Clapping at the reigns, the two men rode out of town and rode off out into the desert. Ridgewood farm was in an isolated area as it was situated between Gaptooth Breach and Armadillo. It was the perfect place to hold out for a few days. It was also a burial ground for bounty hunters and outlaws alike. After a narrow ride, John and Landon had finally arrived at the farm. The place seemed so calm and tranquil which added to the sense of evil. Somewhere in that posh house, Edgar was hiding and waiting to strike.

Inside the house, Edgar displayed a look of shock on his face as he peered out of the window. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. John Marston was there, sitting at the top of the hill. It was then that his nightmare had become reality. He was sure that he was dead. So why was he here?

Signalling his men to cover each room of the house, Edgar prepared to start off a fire fight. He wasn't prepared to die at the hands of a man whether he was dead or alive. He crept to the upstairs balcony where he had a clear vantage point. He couldn't work out what was going on. John and Landon were just sitting there like cougars that were ready to pounce. Who was going to make the first move? The long silence turned from a matter of seconds to minutes. The tension was building up. Someone had got to make the first move.


	5. Scare Tactics

**Chapter Five**

**Scare Tactics**

Edgar Ross sealed himself in the master bedroom as his heart thumped heavily. His shaky hands made him drop his ammo shells all over the place as he tried to reload his revolver. As he looked back out of the window, his heart skipped a couple of beats. He was gone. John had simply disappeared.

"_How the hell can that be!?" _he thought as his breath became heavy. _"I didn't hear him ride away?"_

He sat down on the bed spread and waited as silently as he could. He could hear his men creep around the house which meant that they hadn't run like cowards.

Meanwhile, Ross's men covered the entire property. Three men were positioned on the upper balcony, two men covered the doors and the rest were positioned in every room. Just a few metres away, Landon, took up his firing position. He aimed for the men up on the balcony and fired three continuous shots, knocking them down swiftly. The remaining men instantly reacted and fired blindly in all directions, destroying the glass windows in the process. Upstairs, Edgar bolted upwards and dashed out onto the landing.

"Get them!" he growled. "Get them now you idiots!"

In the kitchen area, one armed man paced slowly up and down the room, nervously clutching a rifle. As he came to a stop, he was immediately drawn to the window. He screamed at the top of his voice as the shadowy face of John Marston stared at him through the window. His eyes had been masked by shadow and his skin was a deathly white colour.

"He's here!" the man shouted. "Hurry!"

He looked back for a second as the other men reacted to his cry. They all drew their revolvers and fired simultaneous shots at the window, blasting it to pieces. However as the smoke cleared, no one was there.

"He was there." the man said as he rubbed his head. "I'm sure of it."

"You moron!" one of the men reacted. "You got to keep it cool. Get it?"

"Yeah." The confused man replied. "Sorry boys."

Edgar made his way down to the lower level where he regrouped with his men. He had now re-gathered his wits as he ordered his men to patrol the grounds. He then followed one of his men out onto the grounds when they were suddenly under fire. His fellow man dived for cover but he was instantly shot down on the wooden decking. Edgar took cover behind an upturned table and quickly spotted Landon's position. He began to laugh sinisterly as he fired blind shots at the spot, hoping Landon would get hit. At the other end, Landon had found himself pinned down amongst the desert brush. The desert wind had stirred up the dust, obscuring his vision. To add to the danger, he had been surrounded by many random shots from Edgar's revolver. He needed to return his fire but he couldn't see. He had no choice. He had to fire randomly as well. Picking himself up, he fired three shots into the air before immediately ducking again. It had appeared to be a stalemate.

Back in the house, the lanterns began to dim down as the shadows engulfed the house. A man patrolled the main hallway with his wits about him. The ticking sound of the grandfather clock made him feel tense. Suddenly, the clock chimed, starting the man. He slowly approached the clock, his spurs clinking with each passing step towards the couch. He turned his back to the shadows as he went towards the window. Suddenly, a rope tightened around his feet, knocking the man over. As he looked back with sheer fear, he noticed that it had come from the shadows behind him.

"Help!" he cried as he was being dragged away. "He's got me! Someone's got me!"

The men reacted and gathered in the main hall only to find that it was completely silent apart from the shooting outside and the clock ticking. They moved in to investigate with their guns drawn.

"Ben?"

A creaking sound came from upstairs and the men hesitantly went to investigate. As they made it up to the landing, the stopped dead in their tracks when the bathroom door slowly opened by itself. They all looked at each other as they contemplated whether to go in or not. Reluctantly, the proceeded and entered the dimly lit bathroom. On first inspection, the room appeared to be completely empty but as the turned to leave, the door slammed behind them and a shadow figure stood before them. One of the men reacted and lit a match. They screamed like hell as John Marston stood there before them. The men were too terrified to re-act his presence but it didn't make a difference to them. John drew his revolver and gunned them down. Then, just like the main room, the bathroom fell back into its dark solitary state along with the three bodies that lay there in a pool of crimson blood.

Back outside, the stalemate between Landon and Edgar came to an end. Edgar had finally ran out of bullets and made the daring attempt to make a run for his horse. The winds had picked up dramatically making visibility even limited than before. Landon knew he could no longer fire so holstered his gun and picked himself up off the ground. He could just make out Edgar who was struggling to reach his horse. He knew he could easily shot him down on the spot but he didn't. He knew that this wasn't his fight.

Edgar fought his way through the dust towards the horse corral when suddenly; he stopped and felt compelled to look back at the house. The winds subsided and the dust instantly settled, restoring visibility. Edgar looked up at the balcony and cried out in despair as his eyes linked with his past.

John Marston stood there out on the balcony. His eyes had Edgar paralysed on the spot. It was sheer terror that consumed the ex-agent.

"No." he cried as he reached for his empty gun. "No! You're dead! This can't be! I KILLED YOU! I KILLED YOU JOHN MARSTON!"

"Edgar Ross! It's time!" John replied with a harrowing haunting tone in his voice.

Suddenly within a blink of an eye, John's dark figure appeared in the street before the ex-agent. He stood there like a statue as his arm flicked back his duster coat, revealing his silver revolver. Edgar's eyes remained fixed on John's as he hovered his hand over his empty gun. He broke out into a cold sweat as he clenched his fists. Time began to stop, his heart began to flutter and then, he drew. He aimed for his gun and aimed it at John. He couldn't believe it. It was empty. John then drew his revolver and fired, striking Edgar through the heart. He stood there and watched as his opponent fell to the ground in a heap.

He walked over the body and smiled softly at the bullet wound. All was silent as he holstered his gun and walked away. Landon appeared from the brush and brushed off his coat.

"Well?" he asked. "Is he dead?"

"Yeah." John replied silently. "It's over. My job here is finished.

As he climbed up on his horse and prepared to leave, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He felt, warm and relaxed as if a dark veil had been lifted from his soul.

"However, I want to show you something before I leave." He added as he waited for Landon to mount his horse. "Why don't you ride with me up to Beecher's Hope?"

"Okay son." Landon replied as he lit a cigar. "Any particular reason?"

"Yes." John answered with a smile. "I want to pay my respects to an old friend."

With that, they left the farm and rode out towards Hennigan's Stead where the desert landscape transformed into beautiful cattle country. John had one last thing to do.


	6. Closure

**Chapter Six**

**Closure**

The calm, endless ride onto The Great Plains of West Elizabeth finally came to an end as the two men rode endlessly on through the country. The sun was now shining and the birds were singing as they made their way up the hills towards Beecher's Hope. John had been silent all the way through the journey, providing a sense of mystery to Landon. The elderly gunslinger didn't like the feeling he was getting. It was an overwhelming sense of fear that settled in his gut. They kept on up the hill until the ranch came into view. John rode on ahead as he trotted towards the main house.

"Here we are." He said as he pointed towards a small hill behind the house. "Stay here a second, I'll only be a minute."

"We rode for two days straight and you'll only be a minute?" Landon replied with a gruff tone in his voice. "John this is enough! What the hell is this all about?"

John ignored the elderly man as he made his way towards a small rock pile which had a make-shift wooden cross stick out from it. He watched on as John knelt down in front of the pile and stayed their silently for a few minutes. At that moment, Landon questioned himself. Did he know the answer in the first place? He thought back to Armadillo and the way the people were looking at him. Could it really be true?

In the time it took him to think it over, John had returned to him. Landon narrows his eyes as John looked at him with a sign of relief and content.

"Now it's your turn." He said as he placed his hand on Landon's shoulder. "You see that grave up there? I want you walk up there and view the plaque.

"I still don't know what this is about?" Landon replied.

"Yes you do." John smiled as he sent Landon up the hill.

Landon curiously made his way towards the grave plot where he instantly saw the plaque that was fixed to the wooden cross. The words were carved in the wood. Landon read them aloud.

"**John**** Marston 1873-1911. Loving Husband and Father. Blessed are the peacemakers."**

He couldn't believe it. He took a few steps back and looked on down the hill. He stood there motionless as John Marston's apparition began to fade away into the heavens. He had been right all along. He then stood there in front of the grave, removed his hat and stood there in respect. He took the time to honour his friend and his comrade.

"Adios my friend." He said silently. "May you rest in peace."

**FIN.**


End file.
